Residents packed the chamber and urged council members to avoid a tax increase and to open budget documents and analyses to public review. Esperanza Reynolds told the council she and a bilingual group called Citizens Budget Auditors have been reviewing budget materials and asked the town to post a "budget season frequently asked questions" page with documents broken out for each year.

Reynolds said the town must provide the public the same information the council receives: "So we need to ask, how can we be intelligent and informed if we do not have access to the same information reviewed by the council." Former council member Marilyn Ruano and other longtime residents recounted repeated annual carryforward amendments and urged the council to hold the millage flat rather than approve a rollback to a higher rate.

Other residents described personal hardship tied to rising costs and called on council members to scrutinize every line item. Abel Fernandez said: "Before you vote, please examine each line item in this budget and ask yourselves, is this program truly essential? Does this expenditure serve our residents' most critical needs?" Several speakers suggested the council use local volunteer expertise to review budget assumptions.

Comments included specific asks: separate and track special-taxing-district funds and interest so owners receive interest on held funds; provide time sheets or mechanisms used to track town staff time on district support; and explain inconsistent administrative charges across special-taxing districts. Several speakers also asked for itemized documentation on spending at the town's park and recreation projects, citing Optimus Park costs.

What happened next: The deputy clerk acknowledged a written comment from a resident and said public comments were made part of the record. Council members thanked speakers and said those public points would help inform the next workshops.

Why it matters: A high level of public concern about a tentative tax change, and requests for easier access to budget documents and explanations, put pressure on the council to show alternatives and to publish clearer public-facing materials before final votes.